My pantry and cupboards are stocked to the brim with pastas of all shapes, rices and beans, canned tomatoes, artichokes, and fiery peppers, and enough spices and seasonings to rival the McCormick spice factory. My refrigerator and freezer are burgeoning with more cheeses than Wisconsin, dozens of eggs, yogurts and sour cream, sauces and dressings, a few bottles of wine (always good for getting those creative juices flowing) and frozen tilapia, chicken and flank steak. Plentiful leftovers already on hand include chili with kidney beans, split pea soup with ham, and maple Dijon glazed pork tenderloin.

The first night of the challenge, I prepared a dinner that I was to make over the weekend. Scheduling conflicts on Saturday night prevented me from making this dinner as planned (i.e. we went out to our local corner bar instead). This resulted in Monday night's dinner of Brown Sugar Flank Steak with Creamed Spinach. I added some Mashed Cauliflower from a couple heads that were in the garage refrigerator.

Day One of the Challenge complete.

On Tuesday I did not cook. I reheated. All the leftovers I had one hand along with the addition of Monday night's dinner were what was served for Tuesday night's dinner.

Day Two of the Challenge complete.

One Wednesday I could have pulled out some more leftovers, but that would have been lame. Three chicken breasts, hoisin sauce, honey and soy sauce became the filling for Grilled Hoisin Chicken Wraps. I added a side of Sesame Noodles and dinner was served.

The wraps included a hoisin mayonnaise, baby spinach, and sliced mango as well as the chicken. My Oldest and I particularly enjoyed the fresh tasting, Asian-inspired wraps. No Thank You Boy and My Middle One think fruit and meat have no busy being served together. They decided on bowls of Sesame Noodles with diced pieces of the Grilled Hoisin Chicken. To each his own.

Heat a grill pan to medium high and drizzle with a small amount of olive oil. Season chicken with salt and pepper and grill for about 2 - 3 minutes per side or until the chicken just gets some nice grill marks. Remove chicken to a shallow baking dish.

Meanwhile, combine 1/3 cup hoisin sauce, honey, and soy sauce. Brush the chicken with the hoisin mixture and bake in the oven for about 12 - 15 or until the chicken is cooked through and the internal temperature is about 165 degrees. Remove chicken from the oven and place it on a cutting board. Cover with foil and let rest 5 minutes. Then slice in long strips.

* Note - the chicken can also be grilled on an outdoor grill and brushed with the hoisin mixture during the last few minutes of cooking. Because of the cold temperatures - and I am a wimp - I decided to go with the indoor grilling method outlined above.

In a small bowl, combine the remaining 2 tablespoons of hoisin sauce and mayonnaise. Set aside.

To assemble the wraps, place a tortilla on a cutting board. Spread the bottom half of the tortilla with a generous tablespoon or so of the hoisin mayonnaise. Lay a handful of the spinach over the bottom half of the tortilla. On the bottom third of the tortilla, layer a few slices of the chicken and a few slices of the mango. To roll up the wrap, fold in the two outside edges and begin rolling from the edge closest to you. When the wrap is rolled up, slice in a diagonal in the middle and serve with extra hoisin mayonnaise.

In a large saucepan, heat the canola and sesame oils. Add the garlic and ginger root and saute for 1 - 2 minutes, stirring occasionally. Add the hoisin sauce, soy sauce and chicken broth. Bring to a boil and cook for 3 - 4 minutes or until the sauce slightly thickens. Add the cooked noodles and scallions and toss to combine.

This looks so good! I am making it tonight! The funny thing is that I have all of these ingredients on hand, but would never have had the eye to put them together for a dish like this. You need to come to Texas and go through my pantry for me!

The sesame noodles were sooooo good! I will never buy store bought ones again. I had intended to make grilled chicken to go with them, but the noodles were so good I never made it to the chicken.... thanks for the great recipe.

My sister and I made the wraps for dinner this week - so delicious!! We are obsessed with hoisin sauce, so this recipe was right up our alley. We wrapped them in a roasted red pepper wrap and added a ton of veggies - sprouts, red and yellow bell pepper, shredded carrots and purple cabbage. All the extra stuff made them slightly difficult to wrap in any sort of beautiful way, but oh my they were fantastic.

For others that are making this recipe, I strongly recommend the Koon Chun brand of hoisin sauce, not the others that you would generally find in the Asian aisle of the grocery store. (http://importfood.com/sakc1501.html) In my experience, it has the best flavor and is more authentic than other brands.

Have loved your blog for awhile now - also made the Brie and Caramelized Onion Stuffed Chicken which was perfection as well! Thanks!!